I got you darkness for Hearth's Warming Eve!

by ChaosDragon

Rating: teen
Tags: Sweetie Belle, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Rarity, Thriller, Adventure, Violence, Princess Celestia
Length: 12258

Unknown to all, the world stands on the precipice of darkness. Unfortunately, Sweetie Belle just sold the one thing that could save them. Will the world fall to a childish act of spite, or will the princesses be able to act in time?

Shadows stir in the north, and an ancient darkness awakens. Far away in Ponyville, what starts as a simple, childish act of spite, puts the entire world in danger. On Hearth's Warming Eve Luna and Celestia discover a disturbing turn of events. The darkness is coming, and the only thing that can stop it is the crystal box. Twilight has left it with Rarity however, and unfortunately for everyone, Sweetie Belle has sold it. Now Rarity must race to find the box and the princesses must race to save the world, while Sweetie Belle simply prays she isn't grounded for life.

Published 2014-06-03 21:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-06-16 23:51:26 UTC

The Void Awakens

Author's Note

So this started out as a reply to a random deviant art comment about someone wanting the story of this comic (by I-am-knot) to continue. And what was supposed to be a two paragraph response, kind of got away from me and snowballed into a 6 page reply. It turned out so well that I decided to just keep going and turn it into a full on FanFic. So please enjoy what was initially a 6 hour rambling done while I was bored at work.
Art by LaurenMagpie

*You may notice a lack of dialogue in the story. This was an intentional artistic choice.

The Void Awakens

An eerie stillness lay upon the desolate wastes at the top of the world, as if the very land itself was frozen in fear. The relentless blizzards driven by the howling winds from the south grew utterly silent, falling away as if they had never been. The thick layer of steel gray clouds that were an ever-present feature of the high north had ceased their incessant barrage of snow, leaving the frozen air crisp and clear. It was here, in this barren and frozen expanse, that a lone mountain stood.

The slope of its face was nearly vertical, slick with a thick layer of wind smoothed ice that would provide no purchase for even the most surefooted of creatures. The high peak rose into the sky, piercing the thick layer of clouds to be lost from sight in the heavens above. Nothing, not even the hardiest and most stubborn of lichen, could possibly survive on the slopes of this treacherous mountain, or in the harsh frozen land that surrounded it. Yet impossible as it was, something stirred in this lonely place of silence and frost.

High above the world, past the layer of clouds, lay a lone cave concealed in the mountainside. Deep in the cave’s darkest recesses, something powerful and ancient shifted. Awakening from a sleep that had begun long before even the earliest of dragons had yet walked the land, a darkness stretched in its prison. Only to find that what had once bound it now slowly yielded to its touch, like warm wax. A thrill shot through the formless being. Sending tremors through the earth as it stirred, it reached out, slipping it’s hand slowly through the bars of its weakened cell and toward the entrance of the cave. The darkness was careful and did not rush, for it knew it was not truly free just yet. But it was close, so tantalizingly close that it could practically see the time of its release. The void was infinitely patient in this task as in all things, for it knew its time would come as it eventually must.

Thick dark tendrils of roiling shadow seeped from the mouth of the cave and oozed down the side of the mountain like the corrupt blood of some tainted wound. It inched bit by bit down the nearly vertical slope, drawing closer to the world below. When the black fingers had crawled the long way down to the cloud layer that marked the boundary of the world below, they paused in their slow descent. This was it, this was the true test of the void’s confinement. Leaving the cave meant nothing if its bonds could still keep it from touching the world. Though if it could, oh, then it would truly rejoice. For if the darkness could touch the world once more, it would be a sign that its shackles could be broken in earnest. Not immediately, but it could be done, and then its great work could begin. Tentatively, a single tendril reached down to the gray clouds and touched them, the black shadow-sludge sinking deep into the mass. There was a tremble, and the world screamed.

The moment it touched the clouds, the still silence of the land below shattered. The air grew heavy and trembled as the very earth heaved. Thunderous booms and cracks filled the sky as the earth split, leaving great crevices racing along the ground, speeding away from the mountain in all directions as the land retched. Torrential cascades of baseball sized hail dropped from the clouds like missiles, smashing into the land and battering the mountain to no avail as the skies wept. The wind grew into a howling fury, lifting the hail and carrying it aloft once more as the wind whipped itself into a great blizzard. The storm hurled the large chunks of ice across the barren land as the world moaned in terror and despair. High above, deep inside the mountain, the faceless, shapeless darkness… smiled.

Weeks have passed since tendrils of darkness began to flow into the world again, and the shadow has been patiently chipping away at its prison ever since. It made only the slightest of scratches on its prison at a time however, and this slowed its progress. If its touch was too heavy, the entire world would more than likely go mad and nature would scream out in alarm. Someone would undoubtedly notice, and it would have been disastrous if someone had taken note of its efforts and come to investigate before it broke free. So the void kept its touch upon its prison feather light. Thinking only a breeze had brushed across the back of its neck, and not something far worse, the world merely shivered when it should have been begging for salvation. A breeze may be light, but even it has power. After scratching away for so long, the darkness was nearly free, its prison worn away to practically nothing now. Its time was close.

Far away from the frozen waste, in a foreign land across the seas, lay a small town nestled deep in the peaceful heart of Equestria. The many earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns in this town of Ponyville knew nothing of what happened in the north. They had plenty to occupy themselves with in their own lands, and did not overly concern themselves with what went on elsewhere in the world. Here it was Hearth’s Warming Eve, and they lay safe in their beds, away from the winter chill that permeated the silent sky and the problems of other lands. The first rays of soft winter sunlight were just cresting the horizon to chase away the night, when the cries of a delighted filly shattered the peaceful silence of one particular home.

Sweetie Belle burst into Rarity’s room like a freight train, sending the door crashing back against a work table and toppling several spools of cloth as she squealed happily. Running straight to Rarity’s bedside, the filly skidded to a halt and yelled her sisters name as she practically hopped with excitement. The only reaction from the lump in the bed was a slight shifting and some sort of sleep clouded mumble that wasn't even coherent. With an exasperated sigh, Sweetie Belle grabbed Rarity, shaking her as the filly whined that it was Hearth’s Warming Eve, and Rarity just had to get up before she exploded from anticipation. The white lump simply groaned and rolled over, pulling up the covers as she mumbled that it was too early and Sweetie Belle should go back to sleep.

Sweetie Belle let out a wailing exclamation of disappointment and hung her head in defeat. The despondent filly was just turning to leave when an idea came to her. All she had to do was convince Rarity to let her open presents without her. Sweetie Belle instantly had a plan. She knew from experience there was no better way to convince Rarity of doing something, than to simply annoy her. In a matter of minutes, Rarity would agree to anything just to get rid of her.

Gathering her hooves beneath her, she jumped onto Rarity’s bed, landing heavily on the mattress. Rarity bounced up, letting out a cry of surprise at her sudden flight. Sweetie Belle knew this wouldn’t be enough however and quickly jumped onto Rarity. She began hopping up and down on her sister like a trampoline as the little filly whined that it was morning and she wanted to open her presents sooooo badly.

With an exasperated groan, Rarity finally gave in. Lifting up her sleeping mask, Rarity shouted at Sweetie Belle that her presents were under the tree, but she could only open them if she left her alone so she could sleep. The little filly was already moving before Rarity had even finished. Calling a hasty thanks over her shoulder, she raced off downstairs in excitement, grinning all the way as she congratulated herself on a plan well executed.

Sweetie Belle came dashing down the garland strewn stairs with reckless abandon, streaking into the back room of the store. She swerved around the tables that had once been topped with piles of fabric, but now held only cards and holiday candles. Past the line of mannequins dressed as very stylish reindeer. Finally sliding to a stop in front of the mostly decorative fireplace. She let out a relieved sigh at having just narrowly avoided running straight into the tree that stood next to it. Rarity had spent so many hours decorating it with the utmost care, until she had finally deemed it ‘just absolutely fabulous’. She would have had a fit for sure if Sweetie Belle had destroyed all her hard work.

Wiping her hoof across her forehead at the close call, she turned to look up at her red stocking and back down to the pile of presents beneath it. Rarity had meticulously wrapped every package, naturally giving them her own flare and turning them into works of art. All were color coordinated as well of course. However, it wasn’t the outsides that interested Sweetie Belle, it was what lay within. Rubbing her hooves together, she giggled and tore into her presents, ignoring the beautiful wrappings, determined to find the GameColt she had asked Rarity for so often in the last few months . Though when the flurry of torn wrapping paper and ribbons had finally died down, there was no GameColt to be found among the packages.

The little filly was utterly crushed, and she swung back and forth between depression and indignation as she brooded, muttering that her sister was a terrible element of generosity. As she moped however, something caught her eye. Tucked away against the wall, behind all the presents, sat a six sided crystal box with six keyholes on top, one on each facet. Looking at it in utter bewilderment, Sweetie Belle wondered what it could possibly be, as she had never seen anything like it before. Grabbing the edge carefully with her teeth, she dragged it out into the open and stared at it as the light glittered off it’s surface. Sweetie Belle prodded the box with a hoof as a thought came to her. Surely her GameColt must be hidden inside this thing, and wasn’t it just typical Rarity to go locking up the one present she had wanted more than any other, and in a crystal box no less! She had to hand it to Rarity though, this was elaborate even for her, but the stubborn filly would not be denied!

Sweetie Belle searched the entire room looking for the six keys, then searched the entire house, then searched the house again, before finally flopping down next to the box in a huff. She had tried every key in the house that she could find, but not a single one fit any of the locks on the box. Utterly frustrated, Sweetie Belle snarled at the box and attacked it with gusto, kicking and biting it in a vain attempt to force it open and obtain the precious GameColt inside. She tried until her teeth hurt, but no matter what she did, the box would not open. Sweetie Belle was so mad she could scream! It just wasn’t fair! She called the box dumb and threw it away in defeat, sinking down to the floor and starting to sulk.

As Sweetie Belle sat staring at the box, watching as the light played over its surface, an idea began to take form in her mind. The box hadn’t taken a single scratch from her assault, and it was definitely very pretty, and it did look very expensive. Perhaps even expensive enough that, if she sold it, she could go buy a different GameColt and forget this dumb box altogether! Sweetie Belle grinned and dragged the box off, snickering as she imagined the look on her sister’s face when she discovered that she had been outsmarted. She would teach Rarity to hide her GameColt in a dumb box that wouldn’t even open!

With a grunt, Sweetie Belle finally got the box standing against the door. She watched it for a minute to make sure it wouldn’t fall, then turned to the hooks next to the door. Pulling her saddle bags down, she flipped open the top flap, and managed to just barely wrestle the box inside. She wasn’t looking forward to lugging this thing through town, but it would be worth it when she was playing ‘Mega Mare 4’ on her new GameColt.

The streets of Ponyville were practically deserted this early in the morning, and the few ponies that were around appeared disheveled or drunk. They quickly darted down side streets when Sweetie Belle turned a corner, obviously wanting to stay hidden from any who happened by. The filly noticed these ponies, but she simply shook her head and chuckled to herself as she passed. She muttered under her breath that, those must have been some parties, if these ponies were only now making their way home. That was their business though and not the least bit interesting to her at that particular moment.

Rounding another corner, Sweetie Belle let out a little jump of joy as she saw the pawn shop come into view. Even better, the owner was standing at the door as he fiddled with a large ring of keys. She was just in time. She kept back and watched from the corner, tapping her hoof impatiently as she waited for the stallion to find the right key. After all, if she were to simply stand around behind him, he might start some idle conversation which could lead to questions, and that wouldn’t do.

A few minutes later, the stallion finally got the door open, and Sweetie Belle headed toward the shop. She slipped inside just as the stallion made his way behind the counter. The owner started as he looked up to see Sweetie Belle standing in front of him. He scratched his head with a hoof as he eyed the bell above the door. It hadn’t rung, but then again, maybe he just hadn’t heard it. He shrugged inwardly and asked Sweetie Belle what he could help her with.

The pawn shop was always getting a flood of random stuff nobody wanted around this time of year. Sweetie Belle knew she could easily make something up if he bothered to ask any specific questions about the box, but she was confident he wouldn’t look too deep. She pulled her saddle bags around and set them down on the counter, flipping back the flap. With as much assuredness and self confidence as she could muster, she promptly informed the stallion that she wanted to sell the box. The owner was instantly suspicious of this young filly. She obviously didn’t have any income, and the box looked expensive. He decided to ask her some questions first, just to be sure. What was it? Where did she get it? Why did she want to sell it?

Fortunately for her, Sweetie Belle had used her time waiting outside to think up a few answers to just such questions, just in case he decided to be nosy. With complete confidence in her answers, she told him that it belonged to her sister. It was some "objet d’art" she had picked up while visiting the Crystal Empire. Unfortunately once she got home, she had decided that it simply clashed with everything and she couldn’t keep it. So her sister had sent her down here with it.

The suspicious stallion thought the story over for a moment, then took a look at the box. It certainly seemed like something from the Crystal Empire, and if he remembered correctly, this filly was Sweetie Belle, which would make her sister Rarity. It certainly sounded like something Rarity would do, from the little he knew about her. He shrugged and flatly offered her 50 bits for it. Sweetie Belle thought it over for a moment as she did some quick calculations. It would be just enough for a GameColt and Mega Mare 4 if she was right. Plus a few bits left over! She pulled the box out of her pack and set it on the counter, informing him that he had a deal.

With her pack now greatly lightened, Sweetie Belle trotted down the street toward the toy store, her new bag of bits clinking merrily as she went. This was going perfectly for her, and she couldn’t be more pleased. Head held high in triumph, she trotted into the toy store and made a beeline for the GameColts. She ignored the other games around her as she looked for the GameColts with single-minded determination. After a few minutes of searching, her heart began to sink. What if they were out?! It was Hearth’s Warming Eve after all! Could she be too late?

No! There it was! Toward the end of the aisle, behind that Ponymon game! She ran down the aisle and snagged the last GameColt on the shelf in triumph. Humming the Pony Fantasy victory music to herself, she headed toward the registers, only remembering at the last moment to pick up a copy of ‘Mega Mare 4’ as she trotted past it. Putting her purchases on the counter, she dug out her bag of bits and handed it to the cashier. Apparently little fillies carrying around large bags of money wasn’t anything new to him, because he didn’t even bat an eye. He simply rung up Sweetie Belle’s items, counted out the bits, handed her three back with a receipt, and told her to have a nice day.

Sweetie Belle could care less about the cashier’s disinterest however, because she was on cloud nine as she headed home. Her plan had gone like clockwork, and she had pulled one over on Rarity to boot! The GameColt in her bag was practically whispering to her, calling out to be opened and played with. She picked up speed with every step she took until she was galloping flat out for home.

The door to Carousel Boutique burst open as Sweetie Belle came dashing in. As the door banged against the wall, the filly came to her senses and winced, glancing toward the stairs nervously. It wouldn’t be pleasant if she accidentally woke Rarity up. Not after being such a nuisance earlier. Tiptoeing carefully past the stairs, Sweetie Belle made her way back to the pile of shredded present wrappings and sat down. The anticipation was almost too much to bare as she pulled out the GameColt and her new game and began to unwrap them with an almost reverent care. This was one package it was worth taking time to open. Soon enough the box was laying empty on the floor, forgotten as Sweetie Belle slid ‘Mega Mare 4’ into the GameColt and settled back to immerse herself for the foreseeable future. Hours passed by as the filly played her new game. She was so completely engrossed that she didn’t even notice when sounds began to drift down from upstairs as her sister got up and moved around.

Rarity yawned and stretched as she climbed out of bed then went about getting ready for the day. Other than the rude awakening from Sweetie Belle, it had been a good night. She felt refreshed and ready to take on the world. Unbeknownst to Sweetie Belle, Rarity had indeed bought her a GameColt, but it most definitely wasn’t in the crystal box. She hadn’t wanted to miss seeing her little sisters face light up with joy when she opened the present, so Rarity had decided to keep it in her closet instead of under the tree. The plan had been to bring it downstairs when she got up so she didn’t miss a thing. So when Rarity came downstairs hours later with the GameColt hovering magically next to her, she was completely shocked to find Sweetie Belle already playing one.

Rarity cried out in surprise and demanded to know where Sweetie Belle had gotten the GameColt. The little filly didn’t even look up from her game as she responded, telling Rarity rather proudly that she had defeated Rarity’s dumb, locked up, puzzle box and had claimed her GameColt prize. Rarity stared at Sweetie Belle for a moment, blinking a few times in confusion, then asked the filly what box she was talking about, because the GameColt Rarity had bought her was right here. Sweetie Belle’s head whipped around so fast to stare at the GameColt hovering next to her sister, that Rarity thought it was going to go flying off with the filly’s mouth still hanging open in shock. Then Sweetie Belle uttered two little words that made Rarity’s stomach fill with a nauseating, cold dread; ‘uh oh’.

With a panicked urgency, Rarity tossed the GameColt onto the couch as she dashed over to Sweetie Belle, grabbing her little sister frantically and giving her a shake, demanding to know what box she was talking about. The little filly knew this had just gotten a lot worse than she had ever thought possible. Her eyes darted around, looking for a way out, giving Rarity many an ‘um’ and ‘well you see’ as she stalled. Once Sweetie Belle realized that there was simply no escaping this, she finally just sucked it up and told Rarity what she had done. The couch suddenly shifted five feet towards her sister as Rarity turned even whiter than she already was. Rarity staggered and swayed for a moment, then fell over onto the couch in a dead faint. Sweetie Belle sighed and rolled her eyes as she waited for her sister to come to, taking the time to wonder just how Rarity always managed to have a couch around to faint on no matter where she was.

That soon became the least of the filly’s worries however. Rarity’s eyes snapped open and she quickly got to her hooves. Her face twisted into a mask of utter disbelief, anger, and disappointment as she stared at Sweetie Belle. Her mouth worked silently for a moment as she sought the words to accurately portray the thoughts running through her mind. She took a deep breath and ordered her thoughts before finally tearing into Sweetie Belle. She shouted and raged at her sister with such fervor that the little filly was taken aback by the attack. Rarity yelled for so long that her sentences lost all coherency, jumping around from thought to thought seemingly at random.

How could Sweetie Belle do such a thing?! What would their parents say! Where had Sweetie Belle even found the box?! What could possibly have made her think this was a good idea?! Did she even know what they did to ponies that stole?! Twilight was going to be so disappointed in Rarity! What was she going to tell her friends?! Where could Rarity have gone so wrong with her sister? Sweetie Belle knew better! What had she done with it? Did she have any idea just how important that box was?! Why did she do something like this without even asking her! How could Rarity trust her again after this?! What was she going to do now?! She was going to be grounded until she was 50! No, longer! How could this have happened?!

Sweetie Belle was thoroughly cowed by the tirade and hung her head in shame. She mentally chided herself for being ten kinds of stupid, and for getting so fixated on the GameColt that she had become blind to everything else. The chastised filly tried to make herself as small as possible as she weathered storm Rarity, seeming to shrink in on herself more and more as it went on.

In between her yelling, Rarity questioned her sister about what she had done. Luckily for her, Sweetie Belle seemed to have grown enough sense to tell Rarity absolutely everything and leave nothing out. It was a point in the filly’s favor, but just one, and she had a ways to go yet to even begin making up for this. It was a long time before Rarity finally cooled down and collected herself, but at least the verbal lashing seemed to have had some effect on her sister. Sweetie Belle was looking genuinely sorry and ashamed for what she had done. Rarity decided that would have to be good enough for now. She couldn’t afford to waste any more time on this, she had to find the box.

Rarity had been tasked with looking after the box several days ago when Twilight had headed out to the old Everfree castle to spend a few days doing research. Rarity had been so busy wrapping and decorating and cooking, that she had agreed without really hearing the request. She had simply set the box aside to be dealt with later and had completely forgotten to put it away. Now it looked like that oversight had come back to bite her, and not in the nice way.

Rarity raced off to search for the lost box of the harmony tree, thinking only of recovering it before Twilight Sparkle found out that it was gone, not knowing that her mission would be of far more importance than she could imagine. For as Rarity ran off to search, Twilight was, at that very moment, coming back from the Everfree forest and heading straight to Carousel Boutique in search of Rarity and the crystal box. Twilight had just concluded a correspondence with Luna and Celestia, and the royal sisters had requested the box be sent to them immediately for study. But unbeknownst to either Twilight or Rarity, the royal sisters had happened upon a most dire discovery that would affect them all, not just Equestria, but the world itself.

A Prophecy Lost to Time

Luna and Celestia had discovered a darkness slowly falling upon Equestria, one of a most ancient and powerful origin. A power that had long slumbered, hidden away in the coldest and darkest places of the world, kept at bay for untold millennia by the aura of peace and light innately given off by the elements of harmony and their consecutive bearers. This dark power was stirring from its timeless slumber however, awakened as the power of the elements that had kept it asleep for so long, dimmed. Drained in the restoration of the Tree of Harmony and the subsequent suppression of the Everfree forest. The drop in the element’s power had not been total or permanent, but it had been severe enough and lasted just long enough to allow the darkness to begin its awakening. And though the power of the elements had since been fully restored, and the aura of good renewed once more, it was no longer enough. For just as a storm churned sea is infinitely harder to contain than a still lake, the darkness had gained momentum with its stirrings, and could no longer be contained by the thin aura of the elements that veiled the land. The elements could only slow it now, in hopes of giving Luna and Celestia enough time to realize the world's peril and act.

For those who knew what to look for, there were many signs that all was not right in the world. The griffin kingdoms told of the Windigos leaving, only for them to be spotted in the deserts of Saddle Arabia of all places. Every phoenix except for Philomena had suddenly left Equestria and moved southwest across the seas they so hated. The changelings were becoming more active in northern Equestria, their raids growing bolder. The glaciers near the Crystal Mountains were cracking, leaving huge rents running across their normally smooth surface. Even the great frost dragons of the far north had awoken from their slumbers, leaving their icy mountain caves and moving south to the savannas of the zebra lands, leaving behind the great hoards they so treasured. These signs and more were a clear message, and the royal sisters had understood perfectly that all was not well.

The royal sisters had dived into the Canterlot archives, looking for answers. They scoured every book, combed through every hidden scroll, searching for a clue that would help them piece everything together, and after a month of relentless searching, the sisters finally found a clue, just a single clue, but it was enough. Hidden away in the Starswirl section, by the dawn light of Hearth’s Warming eve, the sisters had found one of the eccentric unicorns old diaries, its front covered in thick dust and its pages rendered nearly illegible by mold and mildew, but just nearly. Inside they had been able to read little because of the damage, but a few pages near the middle had weathered the years far better than the rest and they were able to read them. In those few precious pages, Starswirl spoke of a mare, a soothsayer from far away who had come to visit him. From his tone, it was clear that the unicorn hadn't put much stock in her words, but thankfully he had written them down anyway, though a few words here and there had been eaten away by the mold.

"When the winds of the north blow south and lay their icy breath upon the desert, you will know its time is coming. When skies of red and gold leave the lands of green and fly across the seas of blue, you will know the mountain of black in the north stirs again. When once peaceful air hums with menace, you will know darkness breaths once more. Whe..." it became illegible here, but cleared up once more shortly after "... bonds of the void grow weak. And when finally the claws of ice grip tight the manes of grass, you mu......ake the box of crys.......to it's door, or make your peace, fo......'s dark hand reaches into the world and its coming is nigh."

A cold fear had swept through the sisters as they read, each new line fitting perfectly into their little puzzle. They still had many questions, and the prophecy wasn't explicitly clear, but the two together had been plenty clever enough to puzzle through it. They knew what they had to do then, and they had spent the night hastily packing before contacting Twilight in the hour before dawn’s first light.

However, Twilight and Rarity knew none of this, for the sisters had a plan, and they had decided that it was far too dangerous to let Twilight and her friends be a part of it. Thus they kept it a secret, not wishing to alarm Twilight unnecessarily, for Twilight could currently do little to aid them, and if they failed, it was better that Twilight and her friends spend their last moments in blissful ignorance. So Twilight went flying off to Carousel Boutique with Spike in tow, blissfully ignorant of their impending doom.

Upon arriving, Twilight discovered Rarity and the box gone, and when she asked Sweetie Belle where Rarity and the box were, the little filly gulped and stammered nervously, quickly thinking up a lie so as not to get in trouble. She told Twilight that Rarity had gone out and taken the box with her, but when Twilight pressed the matter and asked why she would do that, Sweetie Belle panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, telling Twilight that Rarity had taken it to the jewelers to get polished. To Sweetie Belle's relief, Twilight apparently thought that was ‘just so like Rarity’ and promptly went off to find her. However, Sweetie Belle's relief quickly turned to dismay as Twilight left, realizing too late that now she would also be in trouble for lying as well, when Twilight got there only to discover the deception, and find neither Rarity or the box! The little filly groaned and flopped down on the floor, resigning herself to the inevitable, and fervently hoping that Rarity would be generous in her mercy.

Meanwhile, Rarity had finally located the pawn shop that Sweetie Belle had sold the box at, only to discover that the box had already been bought by someone else, and worse, the owner was stubbornly refusing to tell her who! However Rarity was nothing if not a resourceful mare, and using her feminine wiles, she soon had the stubborn stallion telling her exactly what she wanted to know. With a flirtatious thanks and a flip of her mane, Rarity turned and daintily trotted out of the pawn shop. Once she was out of the shopkeepers line of sight she hastily dropped her lady-like manner and broke into a dead run, heading straight for Cheerilee's house.

Rarity galloped through the back streets of town as she made for Cheerilee’s house, doing her best to avoid the more heavily populated areas so that as few as possible would be witness to her most unlady-like display. Arriving out of breath and panting, Rarity took a moment to compose herself before knocking on the door. Cheerilee opened the door with her usual smile, and Rarity sighed inwardly, relieved to see she was in. After a quick explanation of what was going on, Rarity’s relief turned to dismay when Cheerilee told her that she didn’t have the box anymore. Doing her best to remain calm, Rarity politely asked her what had happened to it. With some regret, Cheerilee told Rarity that she had bought it as a present for Mayor Mare and that the box should be with her.

Resigning herself to running around town yet again, Rarity politely thanked Cheerilee and trudged off to town hall. Rarity wasn’t sure where Mayor Mare lived, but she was certain that the Mayor would be in her office at this time of day. She consoled herself with the certainty that this entire farce would be over soon as she made her way up the steps of town hall. As she had expected, she did indeed find the Mayor at town hall, but to her growing irritation, not the box.

The Mayor informed Rarity that she had intended to display it on her desk, and so she had just dropped it off at the jewelers to be polished. After Rarity had explained the entire situation to Mayor Mare, she agreed to return the box and gave Rarity a pick up receipt for the jewelers. With a sigh and a brief thanks, Rarity took the receipt and dashed off to the jewelers. She took the most direct route she knew, and damn lady-like behavior and any who saw her, she was just eager for this fetch quest from hell to be over.

Silently praying the box would be there, Rarity stepped into the jewelers shop, looking around hopefully as the little bell sounded. To her immense relief, the box was there, freshly polished and sitting on the counter, just waiting to be picked up. She eagerly explained everything to the old shopkeeper and gave him the receipt. The aging stallion took the receipt and simply shrugged, it didn’t matter to him who picked up the thing, so long as they had the receipt. Rarity sighed with relief and picked up the box with her magic, profusely thanking the stallion for his understanding. Then she turned around, opened the door, and walked straight into Twilight, sending both of them sprawling.

With a groan and a shake of her head, Twilight got up and helped Rarity to her hooves, telling her that she had been looking all over for her and the box. Rarity muttered under her breath that it probably wasn't as hard as she'd been looking, then dismissing Twilight's plea for her to speak up with a wave of her hoof and a bit of nervous laughter, telling her it was nothing. Twilight shrugged and proceeded to tell her that she needed the box, because Luna and Celestia had asked that it be sent to them as soon as possible. Rarity eagerly presented Twilight with the box and came up with a quick lie to explain everything, telling her that she had just been getting it polished and had just come and picked it up. Taking the box with her magic and holding it before Spike, Twilight remarked that she knew this as Sweetie Belle had told her, and as the box disappeared into Spike's green fire of sending, Rarity found herself unsure whether she wanted to strangle Sweetie Belle, or hug her. Either way it looked like Rarity was in the clear, and after exchanging a few more pleasantries with Twilight, they both went their separate ways. As Rarity headed home, she finally decided to forgive Sweetie Belle for lying to Twilight, but that the filly would be grounded for a week for selling it in the first place. And Rarity vowed to make it a very bad week indeed.

When the box finally arrived at the castle, both Luna and Celestia sighed with relief, their worry at the long delay in the box's sending put to rest. Luna touched her horn to the top of the box and a dim light began to shine from the keyhole pointing north. They had their compass at last. The two sisters quickly packed the box into their supplies and set forth, going north in secret. They flew as swiftly and silently as they could, letting the light from the box guide them as they prayed it wasn't too late to stop what was coming.

The Light of Hope

For four days and nights the royal sisters flew, quickly leaving the peaceful lands of Equestria far behind as they headed north. They flew through the blazing heat and barren wastes of the changeling lands, hunted all the way by Chrysalis and her children, just managing to stay one step ahead of the hungry swarm. Yet their only reward was more hardship. Over the sea of storms and through its lashing rain and hurricane winds they flew, fighting to stay aloft as the weather battered their bodies and threw them through the air like rag dolls. Through the howling blizzards and sub-zero temperatures of the northern griffin kingdoms they flew, fighting the ice that built on their wings every step of the way. They endured these miserable conditions without protest however, drawing the strength to continue from their devotion to Equestria. Through all of this they flew, without rest, ignoring all pain and weariness, and praying, always praying, that they would make it in time, that they would win this mad race against the worlds destruction.

A few hours after leaving the northern griffin kingdoms behind, past the point where any sort of life could ever hope to possibly survive, they finally reached their destination. The top of the world, as far north as it was possible to go. Before them rose a single steep mountain, standing out in stark contrast to the flat, frozen, endless nothingness all around them, reaching so impossibly high into the heavens that, even though they were already a few thousand feet in the air, they couldn't even begin to see the top. The griffins called it “Heaven’s Pillar”, for surely it must thrust straight into the heavens where only the gods could tread upon its peak, because none had ever reached, or even seen, the top of the mountain.

At least, no one that anybody could be certain of anyway, for who could say what those mad few who tried saw before they died. Their bodies, having finally frozen solid mid-flight, would drop out of the sky, descending out of the steel grey clouds to silently plummet the great distance to the ground below, where their lifeless frozen bodies would finally shatter upon the land. There were few who had ever witnessed this happen, but all accounts were the same. They described the sight as both horrible and beautiful at the same time. It was as if you were watching an angel be cast down from heaven. Pale northern light would momentarily shine down through the hole briefly opened in the clouds by the body’s passage before closing up once more. Leaving the poor creature to finish its ten minute fall through the steel gray darkness of the mountain air in silence, before disappearing upon the ground without so much as a whisper. For this reason, the griffins refer to those who die in this way as 'Fallen Angels', both as a memorial to their deaths and a warning to others.

Luna and Celestia knew all of this, but they had come too far to stop now, and if they took a moment to catch their breath first, both feared that they would never find the strength to take flight again. So they pressed on, heading straight up into the sky, and trying their best not to think about what may lay upon the ground below them. Higher and higher they flew, climbing nearly vertical for just over eleven hours now, each wing beat a labor and each foot risen becoming harder and slower as the air thinned. Both were now wrapped in a bubble of magic, using all their strength to draw enough oxygen to them just so they wouldn't suffocate or fall out of the sky.

Ice covered their bodies now, and their fur was little protection against the burning cold that had become a thick coating of cracked and ragged crystals that would have frozen into a solid mass if they stopped moving. But luckily, they were both long past the point where they could feel, let alone think, anything anymore, listing in a near lifeless stupor as their bodies continued upward on sheer muscle memory alone. The two sisters were utterly still aside from their wings, their hooves and heads drooped down, unable to bare looking up, as it only brought them despair, for even though they had left the cloud layer far behind now, they still could not see the top of Heavens Pillar as it stretched imposingly into the midnight sky.

It was then, when their hope had gone and it seemed they could go no further, that Celestia's body, so unused to any sort of cold, finally gave out. Her wings were simply too heavy with ice to move any longer, and her screaming muscles were simply too damaged to continue fighting. She seemed to hang there for what seemed like an eternity, her magic holding her aloft for a few moments more before it flickered and died, but it was long enough for Luna to take notice. A bolt of fear and panic, colder than even Luna’s frozen wings, gripped her heart and jolted her out of her frozen stupor. With a strangled cry and the power born of terrified desperation, Luna reached for Celestia, grabbing her hoof just as gravity was beginning to reassert itself and drag Celestia back down to the frozen wasteland below. But Celestia was just too much for one half dead lunar princess to bare, and the two of them began to slowly sink.

Luna screamed in agony as she pushed her already tortured body even further past its limits, hauling Celestia up just enough that at least her head was within Luna's magical field. Though it wouldn't matter for long, as the increased strain was beginning to make her flounder. Luna knew they had only moments before her body gave out and both of them would plunge to their deaths, joining the other fallen angels at the base of the mountain. She whipped her head around, desperately looking for something, anything, to save them. Yet there was nothing to be seen except the mountain, and its sides were too steep and icy for any to take refuge on without falling.

Fear was beginning to take hold of Luna, when she spotted something on the mountain below them. About twenty feet down was a depression, an imperfection in the flat mountainside, and as she looked at it, she realized that it wasn't a depression, it was a partially concealed cave entrance! In their frozen stupor, the two sisters had flown right past it without noticing, and Luna silently thanked whatever gods may have lived atop Heavens Pillar for their mercy as she used the last of her failing strength to get them to the mouth of the cave. She was just barely able to get them both over the small lip before her wings seized and the pair fell the dozen remaining feet to the cave entrance, a sickening snap reverberating around the cave as they landed. With a piteous moan of agony, Luna pulled her tortured body to its hooves. Her left wing was bent unnaturally in several places and hanging limply at her side as she began to drag Celestia deeper into the cave, only making it another two dozen feet inside before her magical bubble gave out and she collapsed onto the floor next to Celestia.

When Luna awoke, she found her wing bandaged with some of the supplies from their packs. Looking down, she finally noticed Celestia huddled against her. Her sisters white wings were wrapped protectively around them both as the two shivered with cold. Celestia had woken several hours prior, only to cry out in fear for Luna as she saw her sisters limp body laying upon the floor, her wing mangled in a way that made Celestia want to be sick. She had tried to stand, but as she put weight on her back right hoof, her leg gave out and she had screamed in pain. Something wasn’t right with her hoof, but Celestia had blocked it out and dragged herself to Luna's side, whimpering in pain as her body screamed in protest. Then she had proceeded to start a fight against her own agony, managing to bandage Luna's wing before finally losing, succumbing to the cold and the pain and passing out once more.

But now the pair were both awake, still shivering, but alive. The ice on their bodies had melted away while they were unconscious, leaving them now wet and cold, but that was the least of their concerns at the moment as Celestia pointed out. The more pressing matter to her mind, was how they could possibly be alive. Cave or no cave, their spells had both failed, they should both have suffocated and frozen, never to awaken from their icy sleep.

However, as Celestia voiced these thoughts, the answer was beginning to become apparent to Luna as she began to notice that the cave they found themselves in, was not only odd, but downright unnatural. For one, they could breathe, for another, it was far warmer than it should be, and as she sat there, she noticed that there was a shifting breeze in the cave, constantly swinging from flowing into the cave, and flowing out of the cave, as if the mountain was breathing. Luna shivered from more than just cold as she put the pieces together. She was about to tell Celestia, but by now, Celestia had noticed it herself, and was staring deeper into the cave. A shiver that left their fur standing on end ran through the two sisters, as they suddenly became aware of a pulsing darkness emanating from deeper in the cave.

Looking around more closely now, they noticed dark finger-like tendrils of shadow were being sent forth from within the cave. The two sisters stared at them as they flowed over the walls, using the curves and dips of the cave to make themselves appear natural as they flowed up from within the cave and out of the cave mouth. They hadn’t noticed the darkness seeping from the cave when they had been outside, but then again, they had been half dead, and the void was very good at making others think all was well. Luna and Celestia slowly inched away from the shadow-sludge, more out of disgust than fear, as it was completely ignoring them. Whatever this place was, it appeared they had finally arrived at their destination at long last.

Luna and Celestia looked at each other, exchanging a silent confirmation before they both dragged their frozen, tortured bodies to their feet. As she rose to her hooves, Celestia’s back leg quivered, and she cried out in anguish as she began to sink back down to the floor. Luna caught her sister with her good wing and steadied her, letting Celestia lean on her for support as she silently bound the leg as best she could. Something wet landed on Luna’s cheek then, and she looked up into her sisters tear filled eyes. What she saw there was not simply exhaustion and physical pain, but a confirmation of her own worst fears.

Their plan hadn’t been very sound from the start, much less detailed. Take the box north, hope it actually guided them to the right location, find the darkness the prophecy spoke of, get the box to it, then pour all of their power into the box and hopefully force it open so that it could give them the power to fight or do whatever it was made to do, and save the world. That was all they had, that had been their entire plan. Luna and Celestia had both known it was a pathetic, desperate plan from the very start. It wasn’t until now however that they were forced to actually admit it to themselves. They had started out so strong and confident, but now they were broken and beaten beyond all recognition, little more than cripples. The pair were so weak that a strong breeze could probably have pushed them over, and they wanted to stand against a power that could destroy worlds, the thought was laughable.

Tears began to run down Luna’s face as she saw the knowledge of their quest’s futility reflected in Celestia’s eyes. Now that even Celestia, the big sister she looked up to and drew strength from, was admitting their mission was in vain, how could Luna still hold onto hope? The two sisters lowered their heads, resting them against one another in a moment of solidarity as they wept. Though it was hopeless, they knew they must still try. Not for themselves, but for the sake of everyone they loved. Without exchanging a word, they knew this is what they must do. The same way they knew deep in their hearts, that however it played out, they would not survive what was to come, that they would die here, alone.

After taking a moment to pull themselves together, the two sisters steeled their nerves and, with Luna supporting Celestia on her good wing, began to half limp, half walk, deeper into the cave. The hours of unconsciousness seemed to have restored their magic just enough that the two were able to hold a simple light spell as they walked. The floor of the cave sloped steadily downward before them, its unwavering consistency making it feel unnatural. The sisters own piteous whimpers of pain were the only sounds to be heard in the cave, traveling deep into the mountain, distorting and echoing back to them as wails that would make the damned souls of Tartarus envious; at least, they prayed it was their own echoed moans, and not something else.

They walked deeper, always heading down, each step torturous and seeming to take longer and longer, as if everything was slowing down. What had taken a second before, now felt like it took minutes, then hours, then days, then weeks, as time seemed to stretch around them. With the sense of time stretching around them came the distortion of the wails. It was subtle at first, imagined words amidst the noise, but as the weeks dragged into years they grew sharper. Millions upon millions of whispering voices surrounded them, and every one different. Male, female, young, old, it was like having the entire world in your head, and they all hated you. The voices whispered words of anger and hate. They screamed words of rage and death. They even cackled madly as they rambled on in barely intelligible sentences. At least half the voices were completely mad, and the other half knew they were mad and simply didn’t care, but they all seemed to know the two sisters were there. Covering their ears didn’t help, the voices were everywhere at once, and they spoke directly into their minds. Luna and Celestia felt as if they were trapped in a waking nightmare that would never end.

With every step they took, the lights from their horns grew dimmer and dimmer, as if the darkness around them was beginning to physically press in upon them, willfully stifling the light. The thought made their skin crawl, but they pressed on, step after step until their light felt like nothing but a memory, only casting the dimmest imitation of light upon them, abandoning them to live out years in the dark with every step, and only the voices for company.

When it seemed they must surely be steps away from being able to see nothing at all, something changed. The incessant voices that had taunted them, plagued them, nay tortured them... grew silent. Luna and Celestia froze in terrified anticipation, their hearts hammering in their chests as they strained to pick up something, anything in the dark. Then they felt it, on the farthest edges of their senses, a bunching, a sort of swelling in the darkness. The sisters suddenly tensed as they felt the mass surge forward, like it was rushing at them from some incredible distance. The voices began to return, starting out barely even audible, but growing steadily louder as the mass drew closer. Suddenly the unseen mass was upon them, streaking past them, around them, through them. It was like standing in the middle of a stampede. The two sisters were rooted to the spot, afraid they may be swept away if they moved. The multitude of voices were all around them again, rushing past them with the mass of darkness, each one screaming clearly at the top of its lungs; a single word that froze Luna and Celestia’s very blood… FREEDOM!

Panic-stricken, the two sisters surged forward into the rushing sea of nothing around them, refusing to believe their worst fear had come to pass. The tunnel abruptly ended before them in a small outcropping that hung out into nothing. Hard as they stared all around them, they couldn’t see a thing, it was as if someone had hollowed out the entire mountain and painted it black. As if they stood upon the edge of some great void and stared into the infinite abyss. However, this ‘nothing’ was in itself, something. They could feel it all around them, and the waves of hate and darkness coming from it were like blows upon the sisters. They wanted to vomit, wanted to run, wanted to beg for mercy, wanted to lay down and die as they felt a wave of malevolence descend upon them, as whatever this darkness was, focused its attention on them. They didn't flee though, they knew they couldn't. They had a job to do, and succeed or fail, they had to try.

They could feel the darkness around them beginning to tighten as it moved toward them, and they knew that if they were to do something to stop this ancient being, they had to do it now. Celestia reached for her bag and gripped the flap, but she was too slow. The void froze around Luna and tightened its grip on Celestia, pulling her into the air as it ‘leaned in’ to examine her. The voices had quieted since they enter this inner chamber, but now they returned with an eerie unity. Words seemed to emanated from deep within the mountain, as if they were echoing up to them from the very core of the world. Yet there was an amused, mocking lilt to the chorus of voices that made it feel like it was only inches away from them.

“So this is what was coming to stop me? These insignificant little creatures of flesh and bone?! As if the likes of you could even begin to comprehend the magnitude of my existence.” The darkness seemed to ‘smirk’ at them now. “Though I must say, it was quite thoughtful of you to come all this way to greet me. I don’t get many visitors here as you can imagine.”

The darkness let out a peel of inhuman laughter at its own joke, and tightened its grip on Celestia, causing her to cry out in pain. Luna struggled against her unseen bonds and cried out for the darkness to stop. The chorus of voices ignored Luna’s pleas and changed from laughter to pleasured coos as they listened to Celestia scream.

“Oooh, what a lovely voice you have~ Such sweet screams of pain~ I hope all your kind can scream as wonderfully as you~ I’ll have to take my time with your world and have a bit of fun. I’ve been locked up for so long after all. I’ve just been so bored without someone to play with~”

The void cackled and raised Celestia’s chin. “How about it little one~ Would you like to play with me, hmm? Shall we have a bit of fun?”

Celestia was in too much pain to answer, and the darkness could care less what she had to say. It took hold of her right wing and fully extended it, looking it over as it ‘grinned’. “Well well, what’s this? Certainly looks rather delicate to me~ I wonder what would happen if I did this~”

With sadistic pleasure, the void grabbed Celestia’s first primary feather and began to slowly pull on it as she cried out and arched her back in agony. Luna let out a wail of grief and anger, calling out to her sister as she dug deep within herself and dragged her magic out of whatever little nook it had been hiding in. Her horn began to glow brightly, and with a roar of fury she unleashed a concentrated burst of pure magical energy, putting everything she could muster into it. The bolt of power streaked into the darkness, burning a white line through the air as it sped toward the point in front of Celestia where she felt the greatest concentration of the void. Her heart sank as the spell seemed to just dwindle away, as if it had been sucked into an endless expanse and simply disappeared into the distance, leaving Celestia trapped.

Luna’s spirit was utterly crushed. Her act of defiance hadn’t even registered on the beings radar, she was completely helpless to aid her sister. She could only watch in horror as the darkness proceeded to systematically pull out every feather in Celestia’s right wing one at a time, obviously taking great pleasure in her suffering. Each feather pulled made Celestia thrash against her bonds in anguish, sending fresh blood splattering everywhere as she wept and shrieked in agony. Tears ran down Luna’s face to mingle with the flecks of blood sprayed across it as she closed her eyes to the horror and wept for her sister. She begged it to stop, to leave Tia alone, but her pleas for mercy were completely ignored. Hanging her head in despair, Luna tried one last time to save her sister, imploring the darkness between wracking sobs, to take her instead.

Abruptly ceasing its torture, the void ‘turned’ to regard Luna in amused bewilderment, gagging Celestia as she tried to protest “You would volunteer yourself to take her place? You would truly sacrifice yourself for her sake? You actually care for her that much?!” Luna could only nod her head weakly as she continued to cry.

The void seemed to wriggle in apparent mirth as it chuckled, obviously finding her heart-felt plea entertaining “Such love you have for this one. Such devotion. I’m touched, really I am. I’m actually even considering it. It’s such a lovely sentiment. Pointless, even foolish, but still lovely.”

A sense of conceited smugness washed over Luna, as if it was smirking at her “Alright then, so be it. Forcing this one to watch as I play with you, knowing that you sacrificed yourself to briefly spare her, will undoubtedly cause her such unimaginably delicious anguish~”

A chill ran down Luna’s spine as the thing laughed in a disturbingly crazed, inhuman manner. It was so unnerving that she hadn’t even noticed that it had released her and she could move again. “Now then, come here little one~ Come and claim the sister you love so much~”

Luna slowly walked toward Celestia, her head held low in defeat and acceptance. As she moved to her sisters side, she only dared to look up at her for an instant before averting her gaze in shame and sorrow. She was unable to bare Celestia’s tear-filled gaze. Her sisters eyes silently begged Luna not to do this, to run away while she had the chance, but she knew there was no running from this, not anymore.

The void practically purred at her docile obedience, and Luna had to struggle not to be sick on the spot at the mere sound of it. “What a good little pony you are~ Well, a deal’s a deal~ I will release your sister.”

Celestia suddenly hurtled backward as if she had been thrown by some unseen hand, and there was a nauseating chorus of snaps and crunches as she slammed into the wall. Unimaginable anguish flashed through her for a split-second before her mind simply refused to take anymore and simply shut down. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and her mouth hung open, frozen in a tortured mask of pain.

Insane laughter erupted all around them as Luna screamed Tia’s name, reaching for her sister in vain as the white mares broken body hit the floor with a dull smack. As Celestia hit the floor, the flap on her pouch spilled open and the crystal box tumbled out, rolling across the floor to rest a few feet away. The box suddenly began to gleam with a blinding intensity as it recognized the presence of the void around it. Wrathful hissing emanated from the darkness as it recoiled from the light of the box in disgust. “HOW! How do you have this?! It’s not possible!”

The voids words didn’t even register in Luna’s mind. The second she had seen the box tumble from the bag, she had started running towards it. Light filled her, deep in her heart she felt the small spark of hope begin to smolder once more. She ran blindly towards the box, abandoning all thoughts of safety in her mad dash to reach the only hope her sister had.

Luna stumbled headlong over the box, gasping and clutching it to her reflexively as she fell, ignoring the new pain in her ankle as it twisted. Her head rung as it struck the stone floor, but she fought through it, she didn’t have time for pain. The darkness roared with rage and began to surge toward her as it realized she had used its momentary disorientation to seize the box. “NO! I WILL NOT GO BACK!”

Vision swimming, her heart hammering with terror deep in her chest, Luna desperately began dragging herself along the few remaining feet to Celestia’s side. She called out Tia’s name and shook her as she reached her side, praying her sister was still alive, but there was no response. Blinded by grief, Luna didn’t notice the faintest rise and fall of Celestia’s chest as she hung onto life. Thinking her sister truly dead, tears began to roll down her cheeks freely as Luna gave in to despair. The box rolled from her grasp as she bent down and wrapped her arms around Celestia’s neck, cradling her head tenderly. Luna’s body heaved with sobs as she closed her eyes and buried her tear-streaked face into her sister’s mane, rocking gently as she whispered apologies and begged her forgiveness for not being able to save her. Her only solace now was that it would all be over soon, and then they could be together again.

The darkness bore down on them like a furious tide, it’s millions of voices all screaming out in rage, demanding blood for their insolence. Luna tightened her hold on Celestia as she braced herself for the end, giving her sisters head a soft kiss as she whispered a few last words of love. The crystal box that had been slowly rolling along the floor in a gentle curve, tipped once more and rolled onto its next side, coming to rest against Luna and Celestia’s horns.

The light of the box burst forth, increasing exponentially, blazing with a brilliant white intensity that would have rivaled the light of a thousand suns. The darkness drew up short, only inches from the sisters, and recoiled from the intense light as it let out an unearthly shriek of pain that shook the mountain. The darkness around them gathered itself again and surged forward, enraged, bent on snuffing out this hateful thing before it. The box reached into the two sisters, drawing their power into itself, and letting its own power flow back into them, joining them as one.

Luna and Celestia’s eyes snapped open and began to burn with the intense light of the box. They slowly rose to their hooves as the darkness closed in around them, tightening its death grip on this accursed light. Together, the two sisters opened their mouths, and began to speak as one with a voice not their own as the will of the box used them. Their words echoed thunderously around the chambered with power, causing the darkness to stop as it flinched.

"Ancient power of the infinite void. Thee who would return the universe to nothing and birth it anew. One who has slept since time immemorial. Return now to your eternal slumber. Go back to your shadows and await the end of days, as is your duty. For the time of reckoning is not yet upon this plane. Go now, back to your cage. We cast you out from this place to await the day of judgement in silent slumber once more as you were bid."

The shadows around them seethed, hissing in defiant rage as it surged forward once more and began to batter at the radiant light, striking again and again in vain at some unseen shield that had sprung up and surrounded Luna and Celestia. “NO! I REFUSE TO BE CAGED AGAIN!” The sisters and the box watched on for a moment in silence as they slowly rose into the air, then they began to speak again, the mountain trembling with their building fury.

"You will return to your eternal vigil now, or you shall feel our wrath! We do not wish a confrontation, but you leave us little choice. If you would still defy our will, then we have no alternative but to force you back from whence you came by our own hand. Be cast out by us or return of your own volition. The choice is yours."

“I WILL NEVER GO BACK! NOW DIE!” The shadows boiled and writhed as they roared in anger, then gathered its strength and struck out at the two once more. As it did so, the bodies of the two sisters spread forth their hooves and wings, as every inch of them began to blaze with light, becoming brighter and brighter as power built inside them. The two sisters cried out in fury together as a wave of light burst forth from them.

"THEN SO BE IT! THE CHOICE HAS BEEN MADE! BE GONE POWER OF THE VOID! WE. CAST. YOU. OUT!"

The light blazed brilliantly, becoming brighter and brighter by the moment, pushing back the darkness as it erased all shadow and blinded all sight, until nothing was left but a brilliant, intense white, and when the light had faded, everything was over. The northern kingdoms still speak with mixed fear and reverence of the night when a tide of darkness had rolled across the sky and swallowed the light of the stars. In the depths of their despair, when all had seemed lost, Heavens Pillar had suddenly shone with light, banishing the darkness and turning night into day as it blazed with such intensity. They never knew what had really happened, or why, no one ever did. Not the griffins, not the changelings, not the ponies of Equestria, not Twilight or Rarity, not even Luna and Celestia themselves.

Fourteen days after the two sisters had mysteriously vanished with the box, and seven days after Sweetie Belle finished the 'grounding from Tartarus', there was a flash of light, and the two sisters along with the box, had simply reappeared in their beds, as healthy as the day they left and fast asleep, to be discovered the next morning by several startled servants. When they awoke, they remembered nothing of their quest, or their encounter with the void being. Only that they had been searching the castle for something, then gone north with the box to somewhere they couldn't remember, for a reason that they couldn't remember either. This disturbed the sisters greatly, and they began looking into it, but after much investigation leading to nothing, the whole matter was eventually written off as one of those mysteries that would simply never be solved.

And so, without anyone ever knowing it, Sweetie Belle had doomed all of creation with her thoughtless act, including herself. Just as blissfully unaware, Rarity had saved them all from destruction; albeit in a rather uneventful and roundabout manner. It just goes to show that even the smallest acts can have huge consequences.

THE END

Author's Note

Many have asked me about the entity which the sisters face, so I figured I would expound upon it a little and explain how I came up with the idea. As you have seen throughout the story, I have been careful not to use the word 'evil' to describe the entity they face, because that is not what I have envisioned it as. In my mind, this 'thing' exists outside our plane of existence and time as we know it. It is both the infinite void of nothing that existed before the universe, and yet at the same time, not. It is a piece of that void, shaped from it by some unknowable power. The same power that birthed the universe initially. I looked at the concept of god as the Christians see it, and was puzzled. How could he be so compassionate and kind, yet so wrathful and destructive? I would think that such a caring, loving god would find it hard to be so cruel to his 'children' even if for their own good. I know people talk about the 'grand design' and how 'god sees the big picture', but you can't go saying that god has this great capacity for human feelings and feels this deep love for us, and then deny that he would feel other such human emotions such as fondness, devotion, sorrow, etc. And then they talk about how there will be an end of days, and I found myself thinking. Wouldn't it be unbearably painful to kill your children by your own hand as they begged you for salvation? Whether or not I got any of that 100% accurate or not is irrelevant, because it got me thinking. I began to think what I would do if I were god, and the answer (to me) was simple. Create a being, whose sole purpose was to destroy. That way, I could simply let it out on armageddon day and look away as it did its work. Kind of like how we all try and pretend slaughterhouses don't exist. So that is what I've done here. This being is the embodiment of the void. It is not evil, as evil is purely a human concept, it’s just a tool. It was made for the sole purpose of destruction, and the inevitable final destruction of the universe that will return it to the void so that it may begin anew. But forcing such a creature to destroy would be cruel if it could feel pity or sympathy. So I would give it a deep seething hatred of all creation, so that it might at least take pleasure in its work when the time comes. So basically, this thing got out of its cage, and that is why it is told to return to its cage and wait during the final confrontation. It isn’t evil, it’s simply doing what it was made to do.